Legislative Background
Recent Action on Detainee Interrogation
In 2004, photographs depicting the abuse of prisoners by U.S. troops in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison led to a public outcry and demands for investigations and legislation. Meanwhile, internal memoranda within the George W. Bush Administration revealing controversial interpretations of domestic and international interrogation laws led to ambiguities concerning U.S. standards for detainee treatment.In response, Congress enacted the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 as part of the Department of Defense Authorization bill. Also known as the McCain Amendment, after its sponsor, Senator John McCain (AZ-R), the measure stated:No person in the custody or under the effective control of the Department…
